A Hug at a Café

A hug at a café

Last Monday, four of us enjoyed breakfast at a pleasant little “Mom and Pop” type café in Ohio. After we finished eating, our young and very pregnant waitress caught me at the door and asked, “May I give you a hug?”
How did this happen? After we had placed our orders, I told her we were getting ready to have a prayer before we ate. I asked if there was something we could pray about for her. I make this offer pretty often to those who wait on us when we eat out somewhere. Sometimes they decline the offer and sometimes they say yes. In this case, she seemed a bit surprised by the offer, but she then requested prayer about several things.
After she shared her prayer requests, I felt that the Holy Spirit might be giving me a word of knowledge for her. So, I asked her if she had a sister and if there was something going on with her sister that we ought to be praying about. At this, our waitress said, “How did you know that?? ... Yes, I have a sister. And she is about to start working with me here at the diner.” And so, we prayed a blessing upon her, prayed for her requests, and also for her relationship with her relationship with her sister, that she would be a good influence upon her, and a good witness to her.
As soon as that prayer concluded, it seemed to me that I might be getting another word of knowledge for her. So, I said: “_______, you need to know how much God loves you, and how much Jesus cares about you and your needs, AND I think he is saying that he wants you to start coming to church again.”
She was surprised by this and joyful. She answered, “When I was little, my grandmother would take me to church! I really enjoyed it. You are right, I used to go to church!” I said, “Well, _________, the Lord wants you back in his church!”
That breakfast was a good reminder of what happened when Jesus made breakfast for his disciples. After breakfast, he asked Simon Peter three times: “Simon, Son of John, do you love me?” And three times Peter said yes, Lord. Each time Jesus followed up by telling Peter, “Feed my sheep, tend my lambs, feed my sheep.” Jesus calls us all of us to share his love with others. We are to learn to listen to, and rely upon, the Holy Spirit as we do so. If your church would like Nancy and me to lead a STIR UP THE FIRE! workshop for your people on Spirit-led personal evangelism, feel free to let us know.